Introduction
The American Medical Association designated obesity as a disease in 2013.[1] In 2022, six leading organizations with a primary focus on obesity came together to create a consensus definition of obesity. The organizations were the Obesity Society (TOS), the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), the Obesity Medicine Association (OMA), the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), the Stop Obesity Alliance (STOP), and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AAND).[2] The organizations published the following statement: “Obesity is a highly prevalent chronic disease characterized by excessive fat accumulation or distribution that presents a risk to health and requires lifelong care. Virtually every system in the body is affected by obesity. Major chronic diseases associated with obesity include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.”[2] This statement was similar to the World Health Organization’s definition of obesity: “Obesity is a chronic complex disease defined by excessive fat deposits that can impair health. Obesity can lead to increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, it can affect bone health and reproduction, it increases the risk of certain cancers.”[3]
Authors
- Jonathan Carter, MD
- Farah Husain, MD
- Pavlos Papasavas, MD
- Salvatore Docimo, DO
- Vance Albaugh, MD
- Laura Aylward, PhD
- Cynthia Blalock, MSN
- Sue Benson-Davies, PhD
References
- American Medical Association (2023) Recognition of Obesity as a Disease. In: https://policysearch.ama-assn.org/policyfinder/detail/obesity?uri=%2FAMADoc%2FHOD.xml-0-3858.xml
Google Scholar - American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons (2022) Consensus Statement on Obesity as a Disease. In: https://asmbs.org/resources/consensus-statement-on-obesity-as-a-disease/
Google Scholar - World Health Organization (2024) Overweight and Obesity. In: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
Google Scholar